Cattle-guard



A. GWYNN.

CATTLE GUARD. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 13. 1915.

1,1 95,003. Patented Au 15, 1916.

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CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. [3, IBIS.

Patented Aug. 15,1916.

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Id 400111 I ARTHUR GWYNN, OF LUGERNE, WYOMING.

CATTLE-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Application filed October 13, 1915. serial No. 55,696.

To 4Z6 whom it may concern Be it known that I, Airriiun GwYNN, a citizenof the United States, residing at Lucerne, in the county ofIIot Springsand State of \Vyoming, have invented new and useful Improvements inCattle-Guards, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to cattle guards of that class commonlyknown as surface guards designed to be used principally in connectionwith railroad tracks for the purpose of preventing cattle or otheranimals from straying upon a railroad right ot-way, and the primaryobject of the invention is to provide a guard of this character normallyretained by spring means in an elevated position, adaptedwhen moved in adownward direction by the weight of an animal thereon to sound an alarmto frighten the animal to prevent the same from traveling over theguard.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a guard having one orbothof its ends normally elevated by a suitable spring or springs, toarrange an alarm box, including an alarm bell, horn, flash light or anyother alarm caused by the depression of the said device, placed eitherunder or at the sides of the same, or by arranging the same in anelectric circuit provided with suitable eontact points, one of whichbeing arranged upon the elevated end of the guard and the other in aposition to be contacted when the guard is depressed or lowered.

\Vith the above and other objects in view, the improvement resides inthe construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in thefollowing specification and falling within the scope of the appendedclaims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device constructed inaccordance with the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional viewapproximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a similar sectionalview approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1, Fig. l is an enlargeddetail sectional view approximately on the line 11 of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 isa sectional view approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, Fig. 6 is adiagrammatic view of the electric wiring, and Fig. 7 is a detailelevation illustrating the manner in which an alarm may be soundedmechanically by the depression of one member toward another member.

In carrying out my invention I construct a guard of a. plurality oflongitudinally extending bars 1, which are arranged against the rails 2of a track as well. as to the opposite sides of the said rails. The bars1 are connected at inter ads with a plurality of transversely arrangedplatesi3, the said plates, at the portions which underlie the baseflanges of the rails 2 being depressed or offset to snugly receive thebase flanges of the said rails, the said offset portions being indicatedby the numerals 4.. The offset portion 1 con tacting with theunderi'aces of the rails serve to limit the outward movement of theguard and which, as will be noted, in the drawings, is normally forcedin an upward direction through the mediumof a plurality of springs 5,the upper convolutions of the said springs receiving studs dependingfrom the plates 3, and the lower convolutions of said springs beinglikewise received by studs 7 provided in the transversely arranged plate8 disposed between certain of the rail supporting ties 9. It may here bestated that the spring means for elevating the guard may be arranged toone end or at both ends of the guard, so, if desired, one of the endsmay be tilted, the opposite end of the same resting upon the rails andthe weight of an animal traveling upon the guard will swing the same toa horizontal position and sound an alarm, in a manner which willpresently be described. Of course, the springs as above mentioned mayelevate the guard to retain the body of the same in a horizontalposition, and at asuitable distance above the ties 1.

The plate 8 in the showing 01 the draw-- ings is arranged between two ofthe ties adjacent one of the endsot the guard and is supported by aplurality of straps or brackets 1010 which include each a lower horizontal portion 1.1 upon which the plate rests, angular extensions 12and-horizontal portions 13 extending from the portions 12, the saidportions 13'overlying two of the ties and being secured to the saidties. The plate 8 may be insulated from the brackets 10 or the arms 13of the said brackets may be insulated from the ties 9, and also-themembers carrying the studs 6 are insulated from the plate 3 as well asfrom the bars 1. The plate 8 is in the nature of an electric conductorand has formed thereon, at suitable spaced intervals, verticallyprojecting preferably cross sectional contacting members 14 which areadapted to be engaged by contact members 15 arranged upon the plate 3,the said contact members 15 being surrounded by sleeves or collars 16which surround the contact members l-l and which are preferablyinsulated from the said contact members 1-1. The ties 9, at the end ofthe guard are preferably provided with angularly disposed guard plates1?, so that the foot or hoof of an animal cannot be inserted in theelevated bars of the guard. and the ties 9.

Centrally supporting the guard is a tie member 17 which is of a greaterlength than the remaining ties 9 and which extends a suitable distancefrom the ends of the said bars 9. Arranged upon the outer face and atthe opposite ends of the said ties 9 are vertically disposed housings18, the same having arranged therein an audible alarm in the nature of ahorn l9 and a flash light 20. Also within one of the housings 18 is asource of energy such as a battery 21.

Arranged in a suitable housing (not shown) preferably central of theguard is an alarm in the nature of a bell 22 which is inserted within acircuit including the battcry, the horns and the flash lights. Thecurrent of the circuit is carried by a suitable wire 23 from the battery21 to the contact member 15.

The numeral 2% designates the wire which connects with one of the horns19 and the numeral 19 designates the wire which extends from the horn toone of the tlash lights 20. A second wire 25 from the hash light leadsto the second flash light and the second wire from the last mentionedflash light leads to the second horn 19. The return wire 26 from thesecond horn 19 connects with one of the posts or contact members of abell 22, the other wire, indicated by the numeral 27 extending to thecontact member 16.

By reference to the drawings it will be noted that all of the abovementioned wires are concealed in suitable pipes, the same having theirinner faces preferably provided with a coating of insulated n'iaterial,or the said wires may be insulated in the usual manner and by depressingthe guard, it will be noted that the current passing, as abovedescribed, will cause the simultaneous sounding of the horns 19 and bell22 to gcther with the flashing of the lamps 20.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings 1 have illustrated a mechanically operatedhorn which is indicated by the numeral 28. This horn 28 is arranged uponthe plate 8, similar to the plate 8 directly above the plate 3. The hornis operated in any desired or preferred manner, such as by the actuationof a train of gears, similar to clock gears (not shown),

and the numeral 30 designates the contact member which is arranged belowthe plate 3, adapted when engaged by the plate 3 to actuate the gearsand consequently sound the horn 28.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the simplicity of the device, as well as the advantagesthereof will, it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled inthe art to which such invention appertains without further detaileddescription.

Having thus described the invention, what 1 claim is:

1. A cattle guard arranged upon a railway track, spring means forretaining the guard elevated above the ties for the track, means uponthe guard and contacting with the rails for limiting the upward movementof the guard, an alarm, and means between the guard and said alarm forsounding the latter when the guard is depressed.

2. A. cattle guard adapted to be arranged between and to the oppositesides of the rails of a railroad, said guard including longitudinallyextending bars, transverse plates connecting the bars, means, comprisingsprings, for elevating one end of the guard to bring the bars thereofabove the level of the track, means, including certain of the connectingbars contacting with the base flange of the rails for limiting saidmovement of the guard, visible and audible alarms arranged below theguard, and means upon the guard engaging with said alarms to sound thesame when the guard is depressed.

3. A cattle guard for railway tracks comprising longitudinally arrangedspaced bars arranged between and to the opposite sides of the rails ofthe track and transverse plates connecting the bars, said plates beingarranged below the rails, spring means engaging with the plates forforcing the same into contact with the flanges of the rails, a contactplate arranged below one of the aforementioned plates, contact membersprojecting from the plates, contact members upon one of the firstmentioned plates arranged above the last mentioned contact members,sleeves surrounding the said last mentioned contact members and engagingwith the first mentioned contact members, and said contact members beingarranged in an electric circuit, battery, a bell, a horn and a flashlight.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR GWYNN. lVitnesses A. 13. THOMAS, 1V. T. BIONI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for'five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

